Role + city salary
Local wage signals can differ sharply from national role medians. Read this as historical LCA filing context, not a salary offer.
Median
$143,874
Observed range
$74,277 - $260,000
Observations
103
Observed wage range
Wage values from matching LCA rows that state an annual pay unit.
Median $143,874
9 of 112 matching rows with a wage figure are excluded (9 stating an hourly, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly unit) — DOL publishes the pay unit per row, and the figures are not interchangeable, so they are excluded rather than converted.
Observed by wage level
A wage level sets the prevailing-wage floor on a filing. This table reports the yearly prevailing wages DOL actually accepted at each level on the imported LCA rows matching this role — the filing population, not a published national salary.
Across 74 imported DOL labor condition applications for Data Engineer in Chicago that state both an OES wage level and a yearly prevailing wage, this is the prevailing wage DOL accepted at each level. Median accepted prevailing wage runs from $96,928 at Level II to $148,949 at Level IV. Retrieved from official US Department of Labor OFLC disclosure data on 2026-07-23.
Wage observations
74
Levels published
2 of 4
Yearly prevailing wages only
Median at the top level
$148,949
| Wage level | Filings | Lowest | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level II | 39 | $85,904 | $95,451 | $96,928 | $108,077 | $143,874 |
| Level IV | 35 | $124,301 | $142,210 | $148,949 | $153,317 | $202,779 |
Most of these filings — 42 of the 110 levelled rows — were filed under SOC code 15-1252.00 (Software Developers). That matters because a wage level is a percentile of the OEWS wage distribution for one SOC occupation and one area of intended employment, so these figures describe that occupation as filed, not every job that shares the title.
110 of 112 imported LCA rows matching Data Engineer in Chicago (98%) record an OES wage level of I through IV. A further 0 were marked N/A by the filer and 2 carry no wage-level field, which Form ETA-9035 Section F expects: an employer completes only one prevailing-wage source and only the OES option has a level. Of the levelled rows, 101 state their prevailing wage as a yearly figure and are the ones aggregated here — hourly, weekly, and monthly rows are excluded rather than converted. 2 further levels matched fewer than 25 yearly rows and are left out rather than published over a handful of filings. These counts cover every matching imported row, not the most recent 1,000 sampled for the wage range higher up the page.
These are observed prevailing wages on imported DOL labor condition applications matching Data Engineer in Chicago, not a published wage for the role. DOL publishes the level figures per SOC occupation code and area of intended employment, and a job-title match can span more than one occupation, so read the spread rather than any single number as the answer. A prevailing wage is also a floor: the employer's offered wage on the same filing can be higher, and a certified LCA is a Department of Labor record rather than proof that USCIS approved a petition.
Employers
Matched rows from FY2026 Q2. Open a company for roles, locations, source freshness, and caveats.
Keep exploring
Compare this local wage signal with other cities, related roles, and state-level sponsor activity built from the same DOL disclosure data.
Looking at the wider market? See H-1B sponsors in IL or browse the all-states sponsor hub.
Data Engineer in other cities
Related roles
Prefer the national picture? Open the Data Engineer salary overview or the full salary hub.
Primary source
Local wage values are derived from DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, filtered to LCA rows matching Data Engineer in Chicago. See About data and Source status for caveats and import freshness.
DOL OFLC performance pageLast verified: . Page updated: .
LCA and PERM rows are filing signals, not USCIS approvals, green-card approvals, legal advice, or outcome predictions.
FAQ
The Data Engineer in Chicago H-1B salary page summarizes annual wage values from imported Department of Labor LCA rows, including median, middle range, employer matches, common worksites, and source period.
The salary range is computed from imported DOL LCA wage fields where annual wage data is available. It may not represent total compensation or every worker at an employer.
Use the observed LCA wage rows as research context, then compare employer pages and worksites before drawing conclusions. The data is not a legal minimum-salary determination or a guarantee about any individual role.
Use it as a starting point only. LCA rows can include offered wage, prevailing-wage, wage-unit, SOC-code, and worksite fields, but this page is an aggregate salary view rather than a legal wage-level or minimum-salary determination.
DOL disclosure rows can contain wage ranges, prevailing wages, different wage units, and different worksites. VisaSignal normalizes cautiously and keeps source caveats visible.
No. A DOL-certified LCA is not the same as USCIS H-1B petition approval. It is an official labor-condition filing signal that should be interpreted with that limit.
No. PERM certification is one step in an employment-based green card process. It does not mean a green card, I-140 petition, or adjustment of status was approved.
No. Official filing history can show recent activity, roles, worksites, and wage signals, but it does not guarantee future sponsorship or predict legal outcomes.